Religion.

I have some very different beliefs regarding religion than most. I once wrote a blog on myspace about my personal beliefs.
Here it is-

Religion.

My religious beliefs dont fit into any one religion. I am confusing and complicated and this is what causes alot of my inner conflicts.

I believe that Jesus and God are two seperate beings with the same purpose. I believe that they are OF one idea and reason for being but theyre two- not 'three in one' as so many churches believe. I think that 'three in one' is illogical.

I believe that RELIGION matters little. I dont care what religion someone is... they can be a jehovah's witness, mormon, muslim or Jew. If they believe in God and try to follow what he says then that is enough. Many churches have a THING against JW's in particular and it just proves that they are hypocrites. Most of the time they make uneducated comments about them anyway! Also, I love muslims and this worldwide hate for them just makes me like them more!

I dont like churches. I know I should, but I dont. They are full of flawed people. The ministers are not perfect either... and they admit it, so why should we be told by them not to gossip if they are the biggest gossips of all? I believe going to church is important- to be around people like you and for encouragement. And to give tithes etc, but I dont think that it is so important that you need to go twice a day. I also dont think that 'going to church' and 'spending time with god' can be considered the same thing or even similar. Anyone can see that.

I believe that an individuals relationship with God is private. I very much disagree with praying in groups FOR other people. My youth, when I went. used to pray in groups about an issue, or many issues, but they did not get an individual person to stand in the middle of a circle to be prayed for when they didnt ask for it. And they're pentacostal too! It is almost vulgar to insist upon praying for someone in public. This is how I think praying for people should go. If you think you need to pray with or for someone, you should go to them and tell them. Or do it by yourself, when you are praying at night- im sure god is not going to not listen to you because you are alone, instead of being in a group of 15 speaking like a motorbike.

That brings me to another issue. Speaking in tongues. I understand that it is a gift, but it is also a gift that isnt given to everyone. Therefore i believe that it is not meant to be a public thing and perhaps should only be revealed when alone or in a small group of people who know about it. My reason is that uneducated people- or young christians are not going to understand that not everyone gets to do it and they will think "oh thats what im supposed to do!" and they will mimick it. Which , i dont know about you but it seems like it would be blasphemy or something to me. Also, some may think 'its not about what other people think, but isnt it our job to tell people about God? well what sort of job would we be doing if we told them but then damaged their growing knowledge with our insensitivity?

Ok, holding your hands up in the air when singing at church is also something I think should be private. Even I do that when i am home alone, but at a church it is inappropriate, in my opinion. However, Andrew is right.. if only on this point it IS about a persons motives. I think that this act is something that a minister or anyone really, in a church judges the congregation on. If you look out and see every hand raised Im sure most people who only look at the surface would think that everyone was into all the singing and stuff, and if they didnt see any of them they would think everyone was asleep or drunk or maybe just not a christian anymore. This is a VERY shallow thing to judge people on. family backgrounds and personal backgrounds have a LOT to do with why someone does this or not. I think that the shallowness of it is pretty much a reason NOT to do it. Some people may even do it just to show off- isnt that admirable?

I believe when the bible said not to make any graven image that included crosses! I believe that a method of execution has no place hanging on a wall in a church or dangling from someones body parts. I have often considered finding a charm of an electric chair to hang around my neck to prove a point. NO GRAVEN IMAGE. If you need a cross to remind you about the god you serve you are not a very good servant!

Now, Im sure this will be shocking but I dont believe in Satan! Or atleast in the same way that so many others do. I do not believe that he runs around tempting everyone to kill themselves or rob a bank. I believe he is there, but has no power and is somewhat irrelevant. He was never GOD, he always had less power than him, so why do so many christians suddenly want to believe he has almost equal power? The evil being that tempts us to do bad things is ourselves! Humans have free will and so obviously sometimes we will choose to do the wrong thing. Now, why give the devil credit for your own stupidity? Im sure he'd like it too! Stop empowering something that has no more power than you do yourself! I think that this popular image of the devil was made up by a man who wanted to believe he was some sort of powerful enemy that you need to overcome- to satisfy his boyhood dreams of 'slaying the dragon' or catching the bad guys.

Above all, I am conservative- but that is what i think we are supposed to be. I dont think we are supposed to be advertising our individual holiness. I love the idea of someone sitting on a mountain overlooking all that god created and having a conversation with him. Like a best friend. Like someone that you tell everything to and cry to and arent scared around. I love the idea of sitting in a cottage thing with andrew and a dog and having complete faith that everything is going to be okay. My image of perfect christianity is far from what I see in pentacostal churches. Im sure that it is far from what I would see in any church.

I wrote all of that awhile ago, and I still hold those opinions, however I have more evidence to back those opinions now, after about a year. This blog isnt about that extra evidence. It is about the need for a denomination. I have survived my whole life attending churches that did not hold the same opinions on the details as I hold. This fact has just illustrated to me that denominations are not as significant as some people think. Really, the only division I find relevant in christianity is the Catholic/Protestant seperation. I am, and always will be a fan of the reformation, due to the high level of corruption present and historically weaved into the Catholic Church.
Seperations between groups like the Methodists, Anglicans, Baptists, Pentecostals, Lutherans, and Christadelphians seem pointless to me. These groups have such slight differences with each other that its a job to actually discover them! So, Im basically saying that denominations are stupid. Everyone has a slightly different opinion when given the chance to put thought into what they're hearing... there could be billions of different denominations all because God gave us an imagination and descernment.
I certainly have a different opinion to most, and Ive been involved in churches that disagree with is all my life. Ive been apart of Alexandra Hills Church of Christ, Cleveland Baptist, The Rock Christian Church (Pentacostal)and Bayside Christian Family Church (Apostolic), and I hold one of the most different and passionate opinions on the details of christianity of anyone I have come into contact with so far.

I love passionate essays :)